“What’s plan B?”
“We’ll have to either outrun them or fight them head-on.” Dormiton looked at him like he was insane, shook his head and said nothing.
He maneuvered the ship towards his attackers, and prepared to fire the main lasers. They were about three hundred thousand miles and closing. He was just about to fire, when another wormhole opened, and they disappeared into it.
“Enemy craft no longer in range,” the computer stated. “Convert to dimensional tracker.” Jeff was surprised that they transported through a wormhole. He thought for sure that they would just attack him.
Dormiton grabbed his arm and pointed to the screen, as a photonic laser beam moved towards the ship rapidly. They were still out there, all right, but out of range of his scanners. They were obviously much better at this game than he was.
“Defense shields on!” he yelled to the computer, just before they were struck. He pulled the vessel out, and was only hit mildly on the tail of the craft. “That was close!”
Dormiton sighed in relief that they were not blown to bits.
“What now,” the amphibian asked his companion, as Jeff brought the engines to full power and the ship away from Sirkis.
“First thing is to get the hell out of here. We won’t be landing on Sirkis. There’s no guarantee they don’t have a base down there. We can’t even see what we’re fighting against. You better look after Milgic. I’m gonna try to figure out what to do about our Tolarion friends.”
He nodded, as he walked back to the surgical table. Milgic just awoke and tried to sit up, despite the straps holding him down. “You have to rest, my friend,” he told him.
“Did we get away safely?” the weak Milgic asked.
“Yes.” They made it safe off their world, but their world as they knew it changed in a way that would transform their future. Everyone they knew was either dead or on the other island. It saddened them to know they could never return there.
Jeff knew the computer wouldn’t tell him where the ships went, so he relied on his own judgment. As he peered at the scanner, he could see they were tailed again. “How do you like that,” he sneered, as Dormiton ran to the helm. “They’re back! Well this time we’ll just
have to slow down and let them chase us. We might be able to get a couple of them with our rear lasers.” The aliens closed in on him, he switched his rockets to sub-interstellar speed. He fired the photonic lasers and destroyed three of the four enemy craft in a beam of light and explosions. The fourth, however, moved much quicker and required more accuracy. Jeff switched on the interstellar drive to follow him.
“You’ll never catch him,” his amphibian friend challenged. The alien ship darted in front of him, and moved out of range. “Why don’t you just let him go?”
“And have him report back to his superiors? Not a chance!” He followed the vessel as he closed in, it moved at a sharp angle, and then off the viewing screen. He had no idea where it had gone. “Damn! I almost had him! I’ve got to get better at this if I want to keep us alive!”
“What’s that?” Dormiton asked, as he pointed to a flashing red light on the helm.
“The life support system failure light! We’re losing oxygen!”
He sent out another probe, in hopes there was a planet nearby. It indicated there was a world called Belor with an atmosphere similar to Mars. It was mostly carbon dioxide, but there were traces of oxygen and nitrogen at the surface, in an enclosed structure of some kind. Gaseous clouds covered most of the planet, and acid rains ripped away at the already barren terrain.
Sensors also indicated there was arthropod life in a centralized colony within the structure that contained the nitrogen and oxygen. He was curious to see why insect life would be living there and nothing else. They must have breathed air, and were obviously not natives of this world, and must have some intelligence in order to build structures. It wasn’t long before he received radio contact from the tiny reddish-green world. Much to his surprise, the transmission again was in English.
“This is Belor base,” the voice said. “Alien craft, identify yourself.” He was intrigued with the intelligence of this ‘insect life.’
“This is Major Jeff Walker, of Mars, from the Milky way galaxy,” Jeff answered. He eyed the ship to see if it had a name. He located it above the viewing screen. I’m a human flying an alien ship named the Rigil Four. I request to land on your base. We are out of oxygen and being chased by a Tolarion craft.”
“What are you doing in a Tolarion craft?”
“We had to steal it to escape from them.” There was a moment of
silence.
“Very well. You will be permitted to land. We will be waiting.”
Jeff didn’t know if that was good or bad. What kind of creatures were they, and were they friendly or not? He turned on the heat shields and the sub-orbital rockets, and began to enter the atmosphere. It was almost impossible to see the surface through the reddish-colored clouds. It slowly became visible the closer they came. They felt a little breathless as the air started to give out. Jeff was prepared to get them to the jettison escape pod if necessary.
When they finally saw the surface, it was mostly rock. It was similar to the moon, with craters and dust over all of it. He guided the Rigil Four down to what appeared to him to be a runway. There were five domes that were all connected in the middle, and each dome had a red flashing light on top which were landing beacons. When they landed, they came upon two heavy metal doors that opened and revealed a hangar deck for spaceships. He docked rather rough, still a little not used to its functions, shut the engines down, and waited for their hosts. After a few minutes of quiet, Dormiton went back to help his friend. Before he could help him from off the table, the main door slid open and the aliens revealed themselves.
They didn’t try to defy their orders because they knew they were trapped. The Tolarions would attack them if they left the atmosphere and if these Belorions were just as dangerous, then they didn’t stand a chance here either. Besides, at the moment, they were the only allies they had.
He’d swear that they were a cross between an ant and a lobster. They were at least six to seven foot tall, had massive claws on all of their four arms, two large mandibles and were reddish in color. The human never saw an insect more advanced. They carried no weapons and wore headbands that glowed bright red, indicating that they might be used for that purpose. A large member of the group stepped forward.
“I am Zarcon,” he announced, using thought messages that both the amphibians and Jeff could hear in their minds in their own languages. “The reason you heard our radio transmissions is because our minds can be used to transmit these frequencies.” This should have alarmed Jeff, but he expected this much from a race as advanced as theirs. “And who might you be, Human?”
Jeff moved forward, but two of the aliens pulled him back. Apparently, they assumed he came in hostility. He relaxed his
muscles, as he stared into the insect’s dark, blue, compound eyes. “My name is Jeff Walker,” he answered. “These are my friends Milgic and Dormiton. I came from a planet much like this one called Mars, which wouldn’t be of any of your charts because it’s in another universe, a parallel universe. We came here using what is called a dimensional transporter. The Tolarions attacked my friends’ planet and we escaped in one of their ships. As far as I can tell, there are at least three universes that I know about.”
Two of the Belorions, who were the other leaders, glanced at one another; then back at Jeff. “There are an infinite number of universes, Mr. Walker. This is the danger that the Tolarions have brought us,” Zarcon said. Such a powerful tool is too advanced for such a hostile race. They could destroy everything that ever was created.”
“How?” Jeff asked.
“They could change the multi-verse as we know it by altering a chain of events. Or they could disrupt the space-time continuum causing a rip in the universe similar to a warp of space and time. Where was the planet you
were on when you were attacked?”
“I don’t know. Before I arrived on my friends’ planet, I lost control of my ship. My controls went haywire and I was left stranded in space. The last thing I remember is that I was by the dwarf planet Pluto. That was in the other universe-my universe.”
“We will accept that as a satisfactory explanation of why you are here,” he said, as he gestured for the guards to release him. “You will remain here until a further investigation can be conducted, if you don’t mind. We’ll try to make you as comfortable as possible. We’d also like to examine the Tolarion vessel as well.”
“Certainly. What’s on board that’s so valuable? And how the hell do the Tolarions know about wormhole technology anyway? ”
“We’re just being cautious. We’ve made security mistakes in the past, and spies have come here. We’d like your cooperation. We don’t suspect you are spies, but nonetheless, you’ll have to answer some questions. We want to make sure also that you didn’t bring any diseases with you. Is there any thing you need before I show you our little community?”
“No. Do you mind if I observe your inspection of our ship? There are a lot of devices I’m not familiar with, and I’ve got some catching up to do.”
“As you wish. We know everything there is to know about the Tolarion Empire. Bolar, Kira, show these beings to the medical unit.
One of them has a laser burn that needs attention.” The insects nodded, and gently carried Milgic down the main corridor on a stretcher made from some form of white material similar to silk, only stronger.
“What type of propulsion system do these Tolarion ships use?” Jeff asked the large arthropod “And how do they know how to travel through wormholes?”
“Antimatter,” Zarcon answered. “The same technology that the Republic uses. You wouldn’t understand the process, however. Not to be insulting, but it’s way beyond your comprehension of Quantum physics. It involves the warping of space. Even your father of physics, Albert Einstein, wouldn’t understand it. Even though they possess the ability, they didn’t invent it. The Republic used it far longer, but more sparingly. It is likely that the Tolarions stole the process from us. They are foolishly playing with something that they only think they understand.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard about this Republic. What is it, and who is this Balta character?”
“He is the leader of the Tolarions,” Zarcon explained. “Why- have you met him?”
“You might say that,” Jeff answered. “I killed him.”
The large insect laughed in disbelief. “You killed him?”
“Yes, in the explosion of their base.”
“Well,” the insect stated. “If you did not see him actually die, he is probably not dead. He can be very resourceful when he wants to be.”
“I see,” the human answered, disappointed he didn’t succeed. “What about this Republic?”
“They are the Galactic Republic of Peaceful Civilizations. I am the ambassador and ruler of this world, Belor. We work throughout our galaxy to maintain and endorse peace. Even humans like yourself are part of our alliance. In fact, the council is located on a planet very similar to your ancestors’.”
“And they obviously are against these Tolarions?”
“That is correct.”
“How can I trust what you’re telling me is the truth?” Zarcon then turned towards Jeff, his blue eyes fixed upon him.
“You may not trust me because I am frightening and strange to you,” he jested. “I will show you that I mean you no harm. Mr. Walker, would you care to have a tour before retiring to your quarters?”
“I’d like that,” Jeff said, as he smiled.
Jeff followed the Belorion, relaxed, but not fully convinced. Did he somehow get his friends and himself into a space war of some kind? What exactly were the motives of these giant insects, and how were they able to read minds? They claimed to be peaceful, but how could he know for sure? They were much more accommodating than the Tolarions, and didn’t seem to have any hidden agendas. First impressions, however, sometimes could be deceiving.
CHAPTER THREE
Jeff followed Zarcon to the end of a long, oval shaped tunnel. Two doors opened and revealed a large room of computers. There were even more here than the Tolarion base on the island.
“This is our main control center,” Zarcon replied. “With our advanced technology, we can find out anything we want to know within our galaxy. Is there anything that you wish to ascertain?”
“Where is Mars base, and how do I get there?”
“Computer operative,” a voice answered. “Mars-the fourth planet around Sol, in the Milky Way galaxy, star sector 555-78-90, in alternate universe 34677.”
“How long will it take to get there from here, even if I was to go back to my own universe using this vessel?”
“Three hundred and fifty nine years, two hundred and fifteen days, fourteen hours, twenty seven minutes, and forty two seconds, using current transportation.”
“I’d be happy just to see another human,” Jeff sighed in disgust. He hesitated as he thought about Lori for a second or two. He began to miss her again.
“I’m sure your friend Lori is fine,” Zarcon assured him as he read his thoughts.
“Would you mind not reading my mind?” Jeff requested, a bit annoyed.
“Forgive me, Mr. Walker, I didn’t mean to offend. Do you have
another question for the computer?”
“Yea. How is it possible for the Tolarions to move from one dimension to the next so swiftly?”
“I can answer that,” Zarcon said to enlighten him. “They have improved the device to an extent, but it’s not perfected, and is still highly unstable. They could be transferring to another universe and create a void between universes behind them, trapping any other vessel in it. The ship could implode from the enormous pressure placed upon it if the wormhole collapses. The Republic knows how to perform this operation safely. Time and space travel are not matters to be taking lightly.”
“Which is why I came here,” Jeff said. “I was hoping that you could tell me how they found me so quickly?”
“Are you aware that each of their ships has a homing device?” Zarcon asked. They left the room and walked down another corridor until they came to two sliding doors. They opened as Jeff turned towards him.
“No,” he answered. “Well how come they haven’t captured us yet?”
“Maybe the device is no longer functioning, or they are waiting to see what
your next move is, who knows? At any rate, I’ll have it dismantled so they can’t follow you any longer. If they’ve lightened up at all, it’s because they are toying with you. If you ask me, I think you ought to wait to leave. The Tolarions are extremely powerful, and unless you catch them off-guard, as you have in the past, they have the upper hand. You were fortunate enough to get three of their craft without being attacked. They will not let you do that again. I suggest waiting for one of their attacks. Then you can disrupt them at their source-the main control center on the planet Tolaria.”
“Where is that?” Jeff asked, as they entered a room containing large nuclear fusion turbines.
“This is our main power source,” Zarcon said, as he evaded the question for a moment. “It manages the entire power of this base and city. It runs on three fusion reactor chambers, which are located below us. This entire city can be converted into a spacecraft if there is a major disaster.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Very well, Mr. Walker. If you must know, you’ll find the Tolarion base at the edge of this galaxy. It will take approximately
four weeks Mars time to get there from here, depending where you emerge from the wormhole.”
“Have they ever attacked this planet?”
“No, not yet. We can be a formidable enemy when we want to be. Let’s continue our tour, shall we?” Jeff was bothered by his appearance considerably; his large protruding mandibles clickin
g but not speaking, the two large blue compound eyes staring down at him with an emptiness in them, and the long four arms and claws that could break his hand with one snip, and his uncertainty if he could trust him or not. He never had a conversation with an insect before, let alone one that was able to read his thoughts.
After they visited the power room, they ventured through the remainder of the complex. He was completely bewildered by their architecture; everything was made of shiny silver steel, and shaped in ways he never thought possible. Their city under a dome had a style of it own, totally alien to anything on Earth or Mars. He firmly believed if they were attacked, they would only sustain minimal damage. Towards the end of his tour, Zarcon came to a room marked ‘investigative research.’ They entered it and the doors shut behind them.
“This is why the Tolarions will not attack us,” he replied, as he waved his claw like hand. “In this room are some of the most devastating devices you will ever see. We don’t like war, but in a universe of violent races it becomes necessary to protect ourselves from those which mean to harm us.”
He walked over to two doors on the far side of the large room and pressed a button on a panel that opened them. They revealed a large thirty feet weapon pointed out into space; its tip extended through the roof of the large dome in the ceiling, similar to a planetarium. It had several sections on it and went into larger sections until it reached the base. Jeff gathered that this was so it could retract into itself for it to be more compact. He had no idea as to exactly what it was, but he knew it wasn’t just to say hello to their neighbors.
“We call it the Belorion death ray,” the insect explained. “It’s the only one of its kind in either of our universes. It is capable of destroying an entire planet anywhere in this galaxy just by operating the controls in the briefing room next door.” This proved to Jeff their intentions were not peaceful. Maybe it was just a gut feeling, but Jeff was skeptical, and didn’t trust their rhetoric.
“Why would beings of peace such as yourselves create such a
thing?”
Dimension Lapse (Dimension Lapse Series Book 1) Page 4